Tieline i-Mix Proves Tough to Beat

RAPID CITY, S.D. — I work for New Rushmore Radio which owns and
operates six radio stations in the Black Hills of western South
Dakota. The New Rushmore Radio group evolved to its present size
over a period of several years as a result of changes in FCC
ownership limits and subsequent acquisitions. I was Chief Engineer
at one of the ancestor radio stations in 1966 and followed through
in the same capacity during this period of expansion until
semi-retirement last July. Radio engineering remains in my blood
and I continue to work for the group part-time.

With regard to broadcasting audio using remote codecs, I have
seen the transition from POTS and GSM wireless transports, to the
use of IP using 3G and more recently 4G LTE cellular wireless
networks. To my knowledge, ISDN services have never been readily
available or used in our area.

Commander

Gary Peterson with the
destroyed headphones

When I first heard about Tieline codecs I asked around to see
how they performed and heard very good reports. We purchased the
first POTS-enabled Commander G3 field and rackmount codecs for
KFXS(FM) 100.3 — The Fox in 2008, in order to carry play-by-play
ice hockey remotes.

In 2012 we purchased a pair of codecs for KKLS(AM) Hills 97.5 FM
in order to do play-by-play baseball, football and basketball
remotes. We are in the process of transitioning from a legacy POTS
dial-up interface to the Tieline system, which will be configured
for unattended sports remotes.

We have had a lot of success broadcasting ice hockey for
hundreds of hours from venues up to 1,000 miles away using POTS
lines because these lines have always been available at the sports
venues. The Tielines provide studio-quality audio over POTS that is
highly superior to analog POTS systems using voice couplers or
studio hybrids. The POTS connections are very stable and reliable
over long time periods and our on-air announcers love the Tieline
codecs for their ease of use. The return audio path is used to
communicate with announcers and give cues to anyone doing any type
of remote broadcast.

When we bought the first pair of codecs the program directors at
our other stations in the group heard the audio and recognized
their potential for performing high-quality remotes. They would
often request to borrow them for non-sports remotes when they
weren’t in use for play-by-play broadcasting. Due to the demand for
the Tieline units, we purchased another pair of Commander field and
rack codecs and an annual purchase was made until now each station
has its own set. All codecs are fitted for POTS and four of the six
field units are fitted with wireless 3G modules.

Today, around 50 percent of our remote broadcast time would
involve play-by-play sports and the other 50 percent would include
a mix of commercial sponsorship, charity and public service related
broadcasts. Due to the roll-out of 4G LTE cellular networks and the
congestion we sometimes experience over 3G connections, we recently
purchased two Tieline 4G LTE USB modules. This allows us to connect
using Verizon 4G LTE modems and has been a welcome addition to our
broadcast arsenal. Over time I foresee the purchase of more 4G
capable USB modules to increase our wireless remote capability.

Whenever possible we test venues in advance and we know that 3G
and 4G will work most of the time within the immediate area.
Cellular coverage can be marginal at times however, particularly at
large events where a large number of people are using data and in
some terrain-challenged areas. We normally use POTS if it’s
available in those situations.

The Commander field codecs are certainly tough. This year we
experienced an unfortunate incident during a remote broadcast when
a lady lost control of a rental car she was driving and crashed
into our table outside a local restaurant from which we were
broadcasting. The remote gear was on the table and went flying.
Unfortunately our announcer suffered a broken wrist and ended up in
the hospital. As for the equipment, a set of headphones was totally
destroyed but apart from a scratch or two the Tieline codec hasn’t
missed a beat!

Another notable event where the Tielines have made their mark is
at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. This is a massive event
where up to 300,000 people from around the nation converge for
races, bike shows, vendor exhibits and outdoor concerts. We
broadcast throughout the week-long event and the flexibility of the
codecs allows us to go live from a variety of locations. We mainly
use POTS because cellular data availability can be unreliable with
so many people using data services.

Since we first bought the Tieline codecs we have done hundreds
of remotes and they have proven their worth in the field many times
over. Their robustness and reliability on the road is
well-established and they will continue to play a major role in
delivering our radio group’s programming from a variety of
locations.